She has done me well for the past 2 years, a bit of regular maintenance and she's kept running daily through all weathers...

So now my CBT has lapsed, I thought I'd spend some time stripping and glamming her up a bit.. This time round I plan on loosing the side panels, installing a bell filter and hiding the battery under the hump, the tank is stripped to be professionally sprayed and I'm contemplating powdercoating the frame and swing arm.

I'm staying with the black look, with maybe a contrasting silver stripe or detail of some kind..This is my inspiration...

Last edited by ratty racer on Mon Apr 20, 2015 3:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

Some good progress this week, I have spent hours, stripping, rubbing down, painting at polishing almost the entire bike. There was an enormous amount of brushed on silver and gold paint on everything, the top and bottom yolks, barrel, head, engine casing, hubs, nuts, literately on everything

So a few process pictures

The tank stripped back to bare metal, this along with the side panels and cafe seat are at the spray shop (These are the only parts to be professionally painted)

Stripping the swing arm..

and tarted up with hammerite.

Wheels refurbed, spokes and nipple painted with hammerite, also the brake arms. Hubs rubbed back and hand polished to a reasonable shine ( I may take these a bit further using a drill buffer) But pretty shiny for hand done

The frame was given a good few coats of hammerite and been baking in the sun for a few days... Tidied up the wire loom, cutting away any surplus and re doing any broken connections..

Barrel and head off, again covered in brushed on paint

Oh you dirty lil bstard... Plenty coke, but no marks, so this will be decoked and popped back in, the barrel sleeve is also in great nick

That's impressive, you seem to have got more doen in a month than a lot of people do on here in a year! Keep up the good work

Thanks, I don't like hanging about, I plan to have this on the road by mayday for the Hastings run, fingers crossed, I'm cutting it fine

So a little bit done today, I'm feeling rough with man flu Stripped the front shocks and cleaned/re filled and rebuilt. New oil, new gaitors, and onto the nicely refurbed yolks I'm yet to fit a new steering lock, (Need to find fixing screws, these were the only screws stripped during strip down) Not bad

Fitted onto the frame, with a nice new single light, new cables routed through, everythings hand tight for now to see how she'll look. I have to strip to frame and build out front as the bike wont go through the house I also fitted a new sprocket set and a new set of cush drive rubbers in the rear wheel. (no pics)

Oooo and I almost forgot, the tank and seat are back from the paint shop

Todays progress, both side covers polished up to near mirror finish, I could take these further with a buffer, but i think hand done finish is good enough I also refitted the barrel and head. Going to move her out front tomorrow to continue the build before she gets stuck out the back garden

So she is almost done, just waiting on a new battery, ignition switch and top chain guard. The exhaust needs fitting, tank badges need fitting back on, then I can fire her up to check the electrics, before booking an MOT

I decided to keep the air box and panels, instead of a bell filter, my mate done such a nice job on the panels, along with the tank and seat hump, it would have been rude not to use them

I've also not yet fitted rearsets as i'd planned, I need some assistance for this, ie welding tabs on the frame for fitting.a few other bits to do, I want to add a silver stripe down the middle of the tank and seat. Maybe a subtle decal, here and there and I'd like to change that side stand, for something a little less conspicuous. I also need to either make a filler piece to fit between the tank and seat or make different bracket, so the seat can be fitted further forward.

I'm really pleased how she's looking I can't wait to get back on her for a blip... My aim for the Mayday run looks to be a miss this year, I'd need her MOT'd by Friday, but I still have the ignition switch to fit and find somewhere to mount it! She will go next year

Its a very nice feeling bringing an old hag, back to something so shiny, reusing almost all parts that came off, with the exemption of cables, chain and sprocket etc.. Amazing what can be done by hand

Total spend on this project came in under £200 (Not including the spray job on the tank, panels and seat, That was a trade with a pal)

Having a few electrical issues, so she's still sat waiting to be fire up, I stripped back the wire loom yesterday, ready to investigate Sunday... Electrics is the one thing I hate playing about with, but now the loom is stripped of it's age old insulation tape, it seems much clearer to follow the Haynes wiring diagram

One issue was the enduro style rubber plate hanger was fouling the rear wheel.. Hence the new rear light set up. I had to cut the back of the seat to fit over the light, measured twice, three times. get the misses to double check and cut once

The other issues where an iffy light switch, bit of WD40 sorted that. and brakes, new shoes on the way

Dropped the engine out of my Honda Yesterday, after a weekend rideout to Ramsgate something went on the ride over, troubles getting into 2nd and 5th, with grinding noises, I managed to limp her home in 4th. The gearbox oil had metal flakes in as does the gearbox..